


i fell in love at the seaside

by larry_hystereks



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, fisherman!phil, genderfluid!dan, idk its cute ok, mermaid!dan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 09:56:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6849673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larry_hystereks/pseuds/larry_hystereks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>in which mermaid dan is using his human legs for the first time and a curious phil is there to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i fell in love at the seaside

**Author's Note:**

> title from the kooks bc im unoriginal
> 
> also s/o to beth for letting me constantly cry into her dm's with these ridiculous fic ideas

Being human is weird, Dan decides.

First of all, who in their right mind came up with the concept of legs? He can barely walk four steps without wobbling or shaking and really the further he walks, the more tired he gets. What even is that?

Secondly, the sun is way too hot. Every inch of his soft pale flesh feels like it’s positively on fire and he aches for the feeling of the cool water surrounding him. Whatever this salty tasting liquid is that’s starting to sheen over his body, isn’t cutting it.

And lastly, why is everyone wearing clothing? Every person Dan can see from where he’s hidden among the trees at the shoreline is covered! Why didn’t anyone tell him this before they sent him up here, naked, with nothing to cover anything?

Dan groans and looks around at all the people wandering throughout the small town, laughing and chatting, unaware of the mermaid turned man panting in frustration within the trees.

He wonders where he could find this clothing everyone’s wearing without being seen, as walking naked among these people would clearly be out of place.

He’s about five seconds away from jumping back into the sea and giving the entire “human experience” up when he hears a voice.

“Excuse me?” The voice calls. “Are you okay?”

Dan turns and looks at the young man that’s cautiously approaching him.

“Don’t come any closer!” Dan yells, covering his lower regions with his hands.

The man holds up his hands and stops.

“Okay, okay, stopping!” He says. The man tilts his head to the side from where he stands in the sand.

“What’s your name?” He finally asks. “I’m Phil.”

“I’m Dan.” He mumbles with the bite of his lip.

“Hi Dan, nice to meet you,” the man, Phil, says warmly. His hands lower. “Are you hurt?”

Dan flushes. “No, I’m just-” he pauses with embarrassment.

“Just what?”

“Naked.”

Dan glances up towards Phil to see the man turning a shade of red to match his own.

“Oh!” Phil stammers. “I, um, wait here! I have some clothes on my boat!”

“Yeah, I’m not going anywhere.” Dan points out.

Phil somehow manages to turn a darker shade of red as he takes off towards down the beach and to where he can see a boat, presumably Phil’s, floating in the water and tied up against a doc.

Soon enough Phil’s returning back with a pile of clothes in hand, walking towards him, his face looking away as he hands the clothes to Dan, who quickly takes them.

He picks up the first article and stares at it in confusion. There’s three holes in the fabric and it feels soft against his fingers.

He steals a glance at Phil, who still politely has back turned to Dan, and then he looks back at the clothing in his hand.

Oh, right.

Legs.

Dan wobbly puts one of his new legs into one hole, doing the same in the other, before pulling the garment up to cover everything up.

The second thing Phil handed him must cover his chest (though he’s not sure why it needs covering) so he repeats the actions he performed with his legs, now with his arms.

He tries pulling it over his head but the stupid thing gets stuck. He pulls at it with his arms, stumbling in blind confusion, until he’s falling face first and landing in the sand.

“Oof!”

Dan feels arms wrap around him and lift him up off the ground.

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” Phil asks. He straightens the shirt out that’s still stuck on Dan’s head and pulls it down to cover his chest.

Dan wipes at his face, grimacing at the sand.

“Thank you.” Dan says.

He looks up for the first time and meets Phil’s eyes, and _Poseidon's beard_ , they’re as blue as the sea from which he came from.

“It’s no problem,” Phil replies with a kind lopsided smile. “I’m an expert at helping naked strangers.”

Dan blinks at him.

“Wait,” he starts. “You’ve done this before? So you know?”

Phil shrugs and gives Dan an odd look.

“Know what? That sometimes people can get a little too drunk. Yeah, I guess-”

“Drunk, what?” Dan asks, shaking his head. “I wasn’t drunk.”

Phil nods his head slowly, offering Dan a teasing smile.

“Right, okay.” Phil says. “Sure you aren’t still drunk right now?”

“I’m not drunk, I’m a mermaid.”

“What?”

“Wait,” Dan’s eyes go wide at the realization of what he just said. “Crap.”

Phil’s eyes are almost comically wide, blinking rapidly at Dan.

“A mermaid?”

“Forget I said anything.”

Dan starts to walk away, down the beach and towards the water. He’s ready to swim back home from embarrassment alone.

One day. He couldn’t even last a day.

“Wait! Dan!”

He feels a hand on his arm and stops, turning back towards Phil, close enough to the sea now that the soft waves are nearing his bare feet.

“What did you mean 'mermaid'?”

“Just leave it alone, Phil. It doesn’t matter.”

“No,” Phil says with a sigh. “Is that like a new gender pronoun or something? I just don’t understand.”

“Gender pronoun?” Dan asks in confusion. He sighs and shakes his head. “No I literally mean mermaid, or merman, whatever.”

“Wait like the fish? Like Ariel?”

Dan groans and shakes Phil’s hand off him, making his way back to the sea. He knew this was a stupid idea.

He takes a few steps into the water, already feeling the transformation coming over him as he dives under the water.

He feels his tail return back to his body and sighs in pleasure under the water, the stupid clothing ripping off of his bottom half.

Dan swims for a bit, enjoying the cool feels of the sea against his skin, before resurfacing.

“Dan!”

The boy turns his head towards the call, and see’s Phil leaning on the edge of his boat, looking out into the water. Dan can see him panting, slick sweat on his forehead that wasn’t there before.

He swims over in curiosity, floating gently with his tail under the water, looking up at Phil.

“Are you crazy!” Phil yells at him. “You shouldn’t be out this far!”

Dan chuckles.

“Oh my god, you bloody are.” Phil says in disbelief. “I’m calling the police.”

Phil reaches for his phone in his pocket and Dan laughs louder, swinging forward and using his tail to splash water up at Phil.

Phil looks at Dan, his angry yell getting caught in his throat.

“What the-”

“Mermaid.” Dan supplies with a cheeky smile. “Told ya’.”

Dan wiggles his tail around, giggling at Phil’s slacked jaw.

“Not bad, right?” Dan teases when he see’s Phil’s eyes glued to his tail. “My mom always said red was a good color for me.”

“This isn’t real.” Phil gets out. “This can’t be real. Mermaids aren’t real.”

“Okay, first of all: rude.” Dan says. “Second of all, I am, in fact, very real.”

Dan wiggles the ends of his tail in the air again, laughing at the awe on Phil’s face. Dan uses it to his advantage, sneakily splashing water on Phil again.

“Hey!” Phil says, spitting out the salty water and shaking out his now ever wetter hair.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you it was rude to stare?”

Dan dives under the water, finally taking off Phil’s shirt to leave him back in his natural state.

He comes back up again to the surface, the soaking shirt still in his grip.

He was about to toss it back up to Phil but the man is no longer leaning where he once was. He glances around and see’s him sitting on the edge of the boat by the latter, feet dangling in the water.

Dan swims over to him and hands him his shirt.

“Thanks.” Phil says, clearly a bit dazed.

“It’s no problem,” Dan replies. “I may have destroyed your pants when I traded in my legs for a tail.”

“That’s okay, they were my ex-boyfriend’s anyway and he was a bit of an ass.”

Dan giggles into his hand.

“So how does it work?” Phil asks suddenly.

Dan tilts his head to the side.

“How does what work?”

“I mean you were human like five minutes ago,” Phil says. “And now you’re, well you aren’t.”

“Yeah? And?”

“Well,” Phil says. “Why? And how did you get your legs?”

Dan shrugs his shoulders.

“Any mermaid over the age of eighteen can use their legs whenever they want.” Dan says.

“So you’re eighteen then?”

Dan shakes his head. “No, nineteen. I was just too nervous to use them.”

He blushes sheepishly and Phil smiles at him.

“Well I think you did pretty well for a first timer.”

Dan pushes the water forward with his hand, moving it towards Phil but not quite splashing him.

Phil laughs and this time it’s Dan who has to stop himself from staring in awe.

Once Phil’s laughter calms down, he bites his bottom lip, clearly contemplating something.

“What?” Dan asks.

“Are you you leaving?”

“What?” Dan asks again.

“Leaving.” Phil repeats. “You were only human for a short time and you’re already back to being a mermaid.”

Dan looks away and shrugs.

“Maybe. I don’t know if I’m really cut out for this. I could barely last a few hours on land, let alone an entire day.”

“Well, I could help you.”

Dan looks back at Phil, his eyebrows drawing together.

“You would?”

“Yeah,” Phil says again quietly. “Being a human is scary. You’ll need some help, and I, my good friend, have had over twenty years of experience in the field.”

Phil grins at him and Dan smiles back.

“Okay, fine.” Dan says. “Get me a towel to cover up?”

Phil nods, quickly standing and vanishing back on his boat.

Dan moves over to the latter, using his arms to pull himself up and out of the water. He sits on the edge of the boat where Phil was sitting moments ago, his tail hanging in the water mirroring the dangling of Phil’s human feet.

He hears an intake of breath and turns to see Phil clutching a towel in his hand, eyes wide and glued the Dan’s tale.

“Pretty, huh?” 

Phil’s eyes snap to Dan’s and he blinks a few times before nodding, handing Dan the towel.

“Yeah, very.” He mumbles quietly.

Dan wraps the around his lower front, sliding backwards and sticking his tail out of the water completely, waiting a few moments before he feels the tail start to meld into his skin, scales beginning to vanish, legs forming in its place.

“Holy shit.”

Dan chuckles at Phil’s quiet response, making sure the towel is wrapped securely around his waist before sticking a hand towards Phil.

“Help me up?”

Phil nods, taking Dan’s hand in his, helping him rise to his feet.

Dan thought walking on land was difficult, but trying to steady himself on a boat seems nearly impossible.

He takes his first step and nearly trips right back into the sea, but Phil grabs his waist, keeping him upright.

“Woah, steady there.” Phil says, with a chuckle. “You okay?”

Dan swallows and looks up at Phil, his body already starting to feel warm, from the heat of the sun or from Phil’s touch he’s not sure.

“Think we can walk?”

Dan nods slowly, taking a few wobbly steps, Phil’s grip on him firm.

“Don’t worry, I got you.”

Together, they make it onto the boat and into the cabin where Phil says he has more clothes. He makes Dan promise not to rip these one’s with his giant tale, making Dan giggle all the way down the stairs.

Phil leaves Dan standing in the center of the cabin, disappearing into the back to presumably grab him some more clothing.

Dan looks around, most of the surroundings consisting of horrifying fishing equipment, a small messy bed, and some clothes on the floor that smell faintly of fish.

“Here we are.” Phil says, returning with a handful of clothes in his grip.

He hands them to Dan and Dan smiles, looking at Phil pointedly until he blushes in realization and turns around.

“Sorry.” Phil chuckles, turning so his back faces Dan.

Dan gets the clothes on quicker this time, again feeling strange to be covered, but feeling less anxious to be in the presence of other humans.

The pants are a bit uncomfortable, it all just seems too restricting, but the shirt is big and loose so it’s not all that bad.

“Okay, I’m what you humans consider decent.”

Phil turns around and smiles at Dan.

“So, Dan,” Phil starts. “Are you ready to explore land?”

Dan’s fingers clench around the bottom of the material of his big shirt.

“Will you be coming with me?” He asks nervously.

“Of course!” Phil said. “I promised I’d be your experienced human guide, right?”

Dan grins, ducking his head.

“Yeah, then I guess I’m ready.”

Phil gives him a big smile in return, so breathtaking Dan thinks he might fall over.

He sticks out a hand to which Dan gladly takes.

“Alright, then let’s go!”

They head back towards the stairs, Dan’s heart pounding in his chest, as his new adventure begins.

 

\-----

 

Dan is in awe of the new world.

Phil takes him on a stroll in the small town that borders the shoreline, Dan unable to close his mouth, eyes roaming over every possible surface, wanting to take in as much as possible.

Everything is so green, covered in grasses and what Phil called trees, flowers Dan’s never seen decorating buildings and surrounding grey structures with clear water spitting out of them. Fountains, Phil had supplied to him. Right. Fountains.

Everything is also so noisy. People are chatting loudly, to each other, on grey boxes, laughing with other humans, children crying, parents groaning. There’s also so much noise Dan doesn’t begin to recognize. Beeping, not loud enough to be a boat, but not soft enough to mimic a submarine’s radar. Sounds of wheels against the hard earth, songs of birds that are new to Dan.

Dan tugs on Phil’s sleeve, the two of them stopping as Dan points towards a girl a little older than him.

“Can I wear that?” Dan asks, looking at the girl, not restricted by any sort of pants, but instead walking with a long flowing piece of fabric around her waist. It covers her parts, but looks loose and comfortable and Dan wants nothing more than to be wearing that too.

“A dress?” Phil asks, tilting his head to the side.

“Yeah, that.” Dan says. “I feel like my legs can’t breathe.”

Phil scratches his chin.

“Normally boys don’t wear that so I don’t have any you can wear,” Phil says. “But I can buy you one if you want?”

“You would do that for me?”

Phil shrugs and smiles.

“Yeah, I can’t even imagine what pants must feel like to you. You must be so uncomfortable.”

Dan nods, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

“I am.” Dan says. “I still appreciate the loan.”

Phil chuckles.

“It’s no problem, Dan.” Phil tells him. “Let’s head into the shop over there and see if we can find you something.”

Phil glances down at his feet.

“We should probably get you shoes as well.”

“Shoes?”

Phil points to the white material with tied up knots on his feet.

“Shoes,” Phil says. “Protects your feet from stepping on things.”

Dan looks down at his bare feet in wide eyes, he tries to stand on the tips of his toes so as little of his bare foot is touching the ground as possible.

Phil starts giggling beside him.

“Dan, stop,” Phil laughs. “Just watch where you step on the way to the shop and we’ll get you shoes inside, okay?”

Dan goes red and plants his feet back on the ground.

“Sorry.” Dan mumbles.

Phil reaches don’t to tangle their finger together, giving his hand a light squeeze.

“It’s okay, Dan.” Phil promises.

He goes to pull his hand back but Dan chases it, slotting their fingers back together.

Phil looks at him and raises an eyebrow.

“I’m still getting used to walking,” Dan says. “You wouldn’t want me to fall would you?”

Phil looks at him knowingly but doesn’t say anything, instead leading him, hand-in-hand, towards the tiny building that Phil says holds these “dresses”.

Dan stops as soon as they've entered, overwhelmed with the amount of pretty clothing inside.

His feet start carrying him towards a display, towing Phil behind him.

He reaches out a hand and tentatively touches the fabric, brushing his fingers lightly over it. The fabric, a dark green color with hints of white flowers, feels like softest of kelps against his fingertips.

“Do you want to try it on?”

Dan looks at Phil and then back at the dress before nodding.

Phil picks it up and holds it up to Dan, mumbling to himself that it looks about the right size. Phil takes Dan’s hand again and leads them towards the back of the shop where there’s a piece of fabric dividing the shop from this small room.

“Here,” Phil says, handing Dan the dress. “Go in here, take off what you’re wearing and try this dress on. I’m going to see if I can find you a pair of shoes.”

Phil moves his foot next to Dan’s to compare the two, before closing the curtain behind Dan, leaving him alone.

He removes the clothes Phil gave him, letting out a blissful sigh of relief once he’s out of his pants.

He takes the dress and slides it on like he did the shirt, this time marveling at how the length keeps going past his waist and continuing all the way just below his knee. Instead of the top ending at his neck like the shirt he had on before did, this piece of clothing dips deeper, making the beginnings of chest just start to show.

Dan opens the curtain and sees Phil standing there with what Dan’s assuming is shoes in his hand.

“Phil!” Dan says excitedly. He swings his hips around, letting the dress flow around him. “Look!”

Phil chuckles and steps towards him.

“You look beautiful, Dan.”

Dan’s ducks his head to the ground as he feels the heat rise to his cheeks.

There’s a light brush of a finger on Dan’s chin, pushing his eyes back towards Phil’s.

“Here,” Phil says lowly. He hands Dan the shoes, white with two thick straps across the top, his hand moving away from Dan’s face much to his disappointment. “I figured these would be the easiest and most comfortable for you. See if they fit.”

Dan puts them on the ground and steps into them, wiggling his toes that are still bare at the strange feeling of his feet no longer touching the ground.

“How do they feel?”

“Good,” Dan replies. “I feel really comfortable now, promise.”

Phil smiles at him. “Good, let’s go get these things paid for and then I figured we could go get something to eat? You must be starving.”

As if on cue Dan feels his stomach grumble and he nods.

“Guilty.”

Phil chuckles and leads them back towards the front of the store where Phil pays the woman for the items Dan’s wearing. Dan tries to ignore the odd look she gives him, but he feels his stomach twist in a way he knows isn’t from hunger.

When they leave the store Dan grabs Phil’s hand again almost on instinct.

“Why was that lady looking at me funny?” Dan asks as they make their way away from the store.

“Because you’re prettier than her.”

Dan snorts. “Phil, come on, seriously.”

Phil sighs. “Boys don’t really wear dresses here.”

“Well, why not?” Dan asks with a confused frown. Why would anyone choose pants over dresses?

“Because here most boys wear pants and girls wear dresses. It’s just what’s normal for a lot of people.”

“That’s stupid.”

Phil nods in agreement.

“It is,” Phil says. “But that’s just how a lot of people think here,” he sighs and gives Dan a soft smile, running his thumb lightly over his hand. “What would you like to eat?”

“I don’t know,” Dan says. “Just as long as it isn’t fish.”

“You don’t eat fish?”

Dan shudders. “Of course not, what kind of sicko eat their friends?”

“You can talk to fish?”

Dan looks at him as if to say “duh”. Why wouldn’t he be able to communicate with fish? It’s not like the mermaid population was that big.

Phil just blinks at him a few times before they’re off walking again.

“There’s a place along the water that has good food, I think you’ll like it.” Phil says as they make their way through the town.

Nearly all the people have cleared out now as the sun begins to set, just a few walking by, the loud chatter significantly lower than before.

Dan stops in front of shrub, admiring the white flowers in it. He doesn’t see a lot of pure white flowers like this in the ocean, most are vibrant colors or soft greens.

He reaches out to touch one, smiling at the silky feeling under his fingers.

Phil’s hand reaches forward and pulls the flower right from the bush. Dan opens his mouth to yell at him but his words are cut short when he’s leaning forward and placing the flower in corner of Dan’s ear.

Phil smiles at him and wordlessly the two of them make their way towards the place with food in a comfortable silence.

The inside of the building (a restaurant, Phil calls it) is covered in white lights with large glass windows showcasing the sea outside. Dan’s eyes find the water in a relaxing sense of comfort.

“Do you have any tables outside?” He hears Phil ask.

“Yes, of course, sir,” the man replies. “Please, follow me.”

They're lead to a table in the quiet outside and the two of them sit down. A man pours them two glasses of water and leaves them alone.

Dan picks up the glass and looks at it.

“Is there salt in this?”

“Um, no?”

“Do you have any?”

Phil frowns and picks up the small white bottle on the table, handing it to Dan.

He smiles at Phil, dumping it over into his glass and watching the flakes of salt fall in. He sets it back on the table and takes a sip of his drink, sighing in pleasure.

He looks up to see Phil staring at him.

“What?”

Phil shakes his head.

“Nothing,” he says. “What kind of food do you think you’d want to eat?”

Dan see’s Phil holding the paper the man had brought the two of them and Dan mimics him, glancing down at it to see titles of foods.

He frowns at all the fish options, but finds something with no such thing in it.

“Spaghetti?” Dan reads in question.

“It’s a pasta. It’s good,” Phil says. “There’s no fish, either.”

“I know that’s why I picked it.”

Phil chuckles at him and the man returns to ask what they want to eat. Phil orders for the two of them, the man smiling before leaving.

“So people just get your food for you here?”

“In restaurant's, yeah,” Phil answers, leaning his elbows on the table. “Restaurants have menus that you order from and the waiter, that man,” Phil explains. “Tells the cook what to make and then the waiter brings it to us.”

“Huh.” Dan says.

“So what’s it like?” Phil asks.

Dan cocks his head to the side and raises an eyebrow.

“Being a mermaid.”

“Oh,” Dan chuckles. “What exactly do you want me to explain, because being a mermaid is all I know.”

“Well what do you do for fun?”

Dan shrugs. “Traveling is fun, I guess. It’s cool to see all the different parts of the world.”

“What do you do when you travel somewhere new?”

“Usually just lay out on the rocks and sunbathe with friends until I get bored.”

Phil laughs, surprised. “Oh my god, you’re such a stereotype.”

“I am not a stereotype.”

Phil smiles at him widely before grabbing a piece of metal on the table and holding it up.

“Really? So what’s this?”

“I don’t know?” It looks vaguely familiar, but Dan can’t quite place it. “It’s a thingamabob? It’s a, I don't know, a-”

Phil laughs loudly his head burying into his hands and muffling another “oh my god!” behind them.

“A stereotype, Dan.” Phil gets out. “You are a living mermaid stereotype.”

Dan rolls his eyes.

“What does that make you? The lonely fisherman that’s going to steal my heart and sweep me off my feet?”

Phil’s laughter stops and he stares at him.

“Oh my god, don’t tell me you’re actually a fisherman.”

Phil shrugs.

“Guilty. At least I don’t live on my boat,” he says. “Yet.”

Dan shakes his head with a smile as the waiter returns with their food, placing it both in front of them before he leaves them again.

Dan looks at his food, resembling strings covered in a red color and flecks of white. He goes to reach for it with his hand when Phil’s hand wraps around his wrist.

He sticks out the metal he was holding before and puts it into Dan’s hand.

“It’s a fork,” Phil says with a smile. “You use use it to wrap the spaghetti on and eat it.”

Dan sticks it into the spaghetti and lifts it up but nothing stays on it. He looks at Phil in confusion.

Phil chuckles and takes the fork from Dan, twisting it in the pasta and lifting it up. This time there’s food on it when he place it back in Dan’s hand.

“Thanks.” Dan says sheepishly.

He lifts it up and takes a bite, chewing it. Phil watches him chew, and watches him swallow, Dan’s face in a frown.

“Can you pass the salt?”

Phil hands it to Dan wordlessly and watches as Dan proceeds to unscrew the cap and pour the entire thing over his dinner.

Dan sets down the shaker, smiling at Phil before repeating Phil’s actions with the fork, this time getting the pasta on.

He takes a bite, moaning loudly.

“Oh my god, Phil, this is delicious.”

Dan nods his head, chewing and swallowing, before going in for another bite, all while Phil's staring at him with a mix of bewilderment and admiration. 

They finish their dinner and are soon walking back towards the shore and towards Phil’s boat, hand and hand much to Dan’s happiness.

The sun’s all but set now, the moon on her place, shining bright against the sea. The drop in temperature and breeze feels lovely as it blows against them during their walk.

Dan follows Phil along the dock and onto the boat, already more comfortable with walking than he was just this morning.

“I think I’m getting the hang of this human thing.” Dan announces as they make their way into the cabin of the boat.

He hears Phil snort behind him.

“Oh really?”

Dan turns and faces him with a smile.

“Yeah,” he replies. “Walking, eating, wearing clothes,” Dan lists. “It’s not that complicated.”

“I wish that’s all humans had to do, but there is a lot more.”

Phil’s voice is light and happy and Dan blushes, trying to avert his eyes from Phil’s.

“But you did really well for you first day.” Phil assures.

“Really?”

Phil nods. “Yeah, I mean my first day as a human involved me screaming and crying and pooping in my pants so you’re doing great.”

Dan giggles and rolls his eyes.

“I didn’t realize humans were so dumb.” Dan teases.

“Hey!”

Phil pushes Dan’s shoulder lightly and the two boys giggle.

“Where are you going to sleep tonight?” Phil asks when they finally stop laughing.

Dan shrugs. “I was going to head back home maybe, let me parents know I’m still alive and all.”

Phil’s face falters slightly.

“Oh,” he says. “Will I-” he pauses. “Will I see you again?”

Dan smiles.

“Of course, silly.” Dan answers. “Today may have been the first day of my human life, but it was pretty close to perfect. And that’s all because of you. I’d like to make a lot more perfect human days with you if that’s quite alright?”

Phil’s cheeks turn red, barely visible in the dim lights of the boat’s cabin.

“Yes, I’d like that very much.”

“Okay, good.” Dan says. “I’m gonna get changed and head home for a bit. I’ll see you soon, yeah?”

Phil nods. “You know where to find me.”

He smiles and steps forward wrapping the older boy around him in a tight hug, his heart filling when he feels him return the hug with the same pressure.

“I’ll see you really soon, Phil, promise.” Dan says against Phil’s shoulder.

He feels Phil nod against him and hears a murmur of “you better”.

They break apart from their hug and Phil bids him with a wave goodbye, leaving Dan alone to change out of his clothes before he gets back into the water.

He strips himself down and folds up the clothes, leaving them on a small table. He pulls the white flower Phil had given him earlier out of his hair and sets on top, not wanting to damage it in the water. He steps back up stairs, quickly diving into the sea.

He feels his body return to his natural state as he emerges to the surface.

“Dan!”

He turns his head and sees Phil waving him over from where he’s sitting on the latter, much like he was this afternoon.

Dan swims over to him until he’s back in front of Phil.

“Miss me already?” Dan teases.

“Something like that.”

Phil reaches a hand forward to grip under Dan’s chin, pulling him upwards as he leans down to press his lips against Dan’s softly.

It’s chaste and brief but Dan pulls away breathless, Phil’s blue eyes shining bright at him even in the dark of the night.

“I wanted to make sure I’d still be on your mind when you returned to all those other merboys at home.”

“Trust me, I won’t be forgetting this day, or you, anytime soon.”

Dan uses his tail to propel himself upwards again so he can press a quick kiss to Phil’s lips again.

“I’ll be back soon, Phil.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you.”

They smile at each other again before Dan dips below the surf, swimming back in the direction towards his home.

Dan’s heart races as he swims, excited by the prospect of something new, yet sad to be leaving already so soon.

Being a human is not what he expected. And as much as he loved the day he spent on the land with Phil, seeing all the new things, enjoying his new experiences, he wonders how he can really ever leave the ocean behind.

But come to think of it, as his mind remembers the blue pools in Phil’s eyes, he knows whether he’s human or mermaid, he’ll always be by the sea.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me here: tbfhlmao.tumblr.com or here: @hystereks
> 
> also yes, i know there were too many little mermaid references but i dont CARE


End file.
